Ready to Apply?
Pre-Application Preparation:
1.
Review all steps below to determine what you should install.
2.
Review all documents below within Forms and Resources.
3.
For assistance in preparing a Rule 29 application, please request a no-cost EV Readiness Study at www.sce.com/teas
4.
Ready to Apply? Contact us at
TEPMCommercialEV@sce.com
Rule 29 Checklist
1. Review the Rule 29 Tariff Book.
2. Review the Rule 29 Sample Agreement required for participation. Redlines to the agreement will not be accepted.
3. Review the Customer Project Information Sheet (CPIS) and the highlighted fields to confirm you have gathered all the required information. Incomplete CPIS will be rejected.
4. Review the SCE Sample Easement with the property owner, as they will be required to sign it. Redlines to the easement will not be accepted.
5. Reach out to your authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), who will permit your project. Ensure the project design will meet your jurisdiction's requirements.
6. Review SCE CAD Requirements Document.
7. Review SCE Electrical Service Requirements (ESR) Manual. The ESR Manual provides guidance and instructions pertaining to electrical service connections. Its purpose is to assist electrical contractors, engineers, architects, and manufacturers engaged in the installation of electrical service wiring and equipment.
Rule 29 Project Steps
The detailed steps to install EV charging through Rule 29 are outlined below. Throughout this webpage, SCE has provided approximate durations for activities. These durations can vary and are dependent on various factors that include but are not limited to project workload and complexity. SCE will try to adhere by the Rule 29 timelines outlined below; however, the overall objective is to achieve the minimum project required timelines as defined by CPUC.
Please note that for applicants who will be participating in Rule 29 and would like to install a primary switchgear, the process will differ slightly. For primary service switchgear applicants, these steps can be found in the FAQ.
The applicant must complete the following:
1. The Customer Project Information Sheet (CPIS) must be filled out with the number of chargers and estimated load information.
2. If you are not the legal contact for this project, you will need to fill out the 3rd-Party Authorization Form. This will allow us to discuss the project with you. The document will need to be notarized if anything outside of the red box is checked off.
3. Submit high-level site plan that includes transformer location, switchgear, and port location(s).
4. If available, provide the charger specification sheets.
SCE will administer the following after receipt and review of the applicant’s information:
1. Applicant will receive an automated email that includes the name, date, and time of the proposed inspection, normally within 2-3 business days.
2. An SCE inspector will visit the site and document the field conditions. A report will be created within 10 business days after the site visit is completed and be shared with the applicant.
3. If no engineering study is required, SCE will submit the Field Verification Review to our internal team to develop a conceptual plan that will identify Rule 29, Rule 15, and Rule 16 aspects of the proposed scope. This step is normally completed within 5-10 business days.
4. SCE will send the conceptual plan to the applicant for review and approval. Please ensure that the property owner understands that an SCE easement must be provided as part of this project. Neither the language in the easement document, nor the easement process, may be modified.
5. If an engineering study is required, the conceptual plan will be developed after the preliminary engineering study has been completed.
The following conditions can trigger an engineering study: (1) requested load of 500kW and above, (2) circuit is constrained, (3) tie-into existing 4kV circuit, or (4) primary service is requested. The FVR is required to determine if items 2 or 3 are applicable.
The applicant has two options for the engineering study:
Option 1: A paid study that requires a $3,000 invoice request to be created. If the project is phased, SCE will review the entire project and all associated phases. The Preliminary Engineering Study Report can be processed with just the CPIS (considered minimum submittal); however, if you can provide the additional information, it’s preferred and helpful (considered partial submittal).
Requirements for Option 1:
- Request/commission a $3,000 paid study (required for minimum submittal)
- Complete CPIS (required for minimum submittal)
- Site Plan (required for partial submittal)
- Load Schedule (required for partial submittal)
- Charger Specification Sheets (required for partial submittal)
Option 2: Complete a Rule 29 Agreement and Application, in which case the $3,000 fee is waived. In this instance, SCE will study/review the initial project phase and any additional project phases if they occur within a one-year period of the initial project phase. The study will not include anything past the one-year period of the initial project phase.
Requirements for Option 2:
- No $3,000 paid study fee required
- FVR Completed (required for partial to full submittal)
- Complete CPIS (required for partial to full submittal)
- Site Plan (required for partial to full submittal)
- Charger Specification Sheets (if available; required for partial to full submittal)
The results of these studies are only a snapshot in time and do not constitute a reservation of load. A subsequent study will need to be performed upon the receipt of a complete preliminary design package with results provided and the project load will be reserved at that time.
The items needed to proceed with preliminary design are listed below:
- Updated CPIS (if required or if changes were made from the original scope)
- Site plan, both CAD file and PDF. This must meet SCE CAD file requirements. SCE will not accept a CAD file if it has not met all requirements.
- Single Line Diagram
- Load Schedule
- Charger Specification Sheets
- Rule 29 Agreement (signed by the legal contact)
- Rule 29 Application
- Applicant Design Option Letter (must include legal contact signature and job title).
Upon receipt of the items listed above, the formal engineering restudy will be performed to reserve the load for the project and determine the detail of upgrades that may be required. This can take up to 30 business days to complete.
If there are no engineering upgrades required and circuit capacity is available, the preliminary design package will be formally submitted for planning. The average period for planning to create a preliminary design map is 30 business days; this timeline is dependent on the magnitude of scope and could be greater than 30 business days.
This phase begins after the applicant has reviewed and approved the preliminary design phase. Any changes that occur after the final design phase has begun automatically restart the design period(s). It is important all comments and feedback are provided before starting the final design phase.
The final design stage steps include:
- Applicant is required to sign the preliminary map and provide to their SCE point of contact.
- Switchgear/panel drawings with Electric Utility Service Equipment Requirements Committee (EUSERC) numbers are required before final design begins. For primary service projects, the drawings will be sent to SCE Distribution Engineering for review, which takes approximately 4-6 weeks to complete. This timing is dependent on comments and review cycles.
- The address provided by the city or county for the EV Meter is required before the final design begins. When the applicant receives the assigned address, it should be sent to their SCE contact so it can be updated in our system. This is typically provided during your permitting stage. It is important for SCE to have the correct address, as we cannot have multiple meters with the same address, and we need to ensure that the address provided on the AHJ release matches what we have in the system so that it is applied when received. Deviations from this can result in significant delays.
- If the applicant needs a Short Circuit Duty Letter (or Fault Duty Current Letter) it can be requested after the preliminary design has been approved (normally within 2-3 weeks). This cannot be provided prior to approval of the preliminary design.
- SCE will acquire an easement as required by the project scope. This occurs after the final design is complete. A third-party vendor will create an easement package that will be sent to the property owner to execute. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that the property owner will grant the easement.
- If any permits are required, such as traffic control, right of way, etc., SCE will acquire them during this step.
- After all requirements have been met, SCE will install all necessary ducts and structures for the Rule 29 portion of the project.
- Turn on Application: Applicants shall coordinate with our Customer Engagement Division (CED) to schedule a Turn On application.
- AHJ Release: The applicant is responsible for ensuring their project scope has been inspected and approved for service by the authority having jurisdiction (AHJ). The AHJ will notify SCE electronically if they have approved the project for service.
- Switchgear Inspection Coordination: For any switchgear installed as part of a Rule 29 project, applicants are required to coordinate with SCE for final switchgear inspections.
Upon the completion of the final applicant requirements, SCE will:
- Coordinate the installation of the EV meter for your project.
- Be responsible for pulling, terminating, testing, and landing cables.
- Schedule the energization of your project site.
Upon completion of the aforementioned steps, applicants are required to confirm via email:
- Meter Number Provision: The SCE project manager will provide applicants with a meter number. Applicants should include this information in their email response for tracking purposes.
- Meter Address: Applicants are requested to confirm if the meter address matches the one assigned by the AHJ.
- Charging Port Count: Applicants are required to confirm the total number of charging ports against the initially provided information.
- Commission Date Notification: Applicants must inform SCE of the date when the EV chargers become operational for public use.
Forms and Resources
Use the following forms and resources to learn more, get started, and complete your project:
Rule 29 Step 1 Forms:
- Customer Project Information Sheet
(Project info including number of charges and estimated load) - 3rd Party Authorization Form
(Authorizes a third party (usually a contractor/installer) to apply on the customer’s behalf)
Rule 29 Step 2 Forms:
- Rule 29 Application and Application Reference
(One-page form to collect essential project information) - Rule 29 Sample Agreement
(Official signed agreement between customer and SCE)
Rule 29 Step 3 Forms:
- SCE CAD File Requirements
(Requirements for inclusion in the Computer Aided Design [CAD] document[s]) - Applicant Design Option Letter
(Applicant authorization for SCE design execution [applicant must choose Option 1 for Rule 29])
Rule 29 Step 5 Forms:
- Rule 29 Sample Easement Memo
(Legal permission for easement to be signed by property owner) - Rule 29 Sample Easement
(Sample of required easement rights for the installation of SCE's EV distribution facilities)
Reference and Resource Documents:
- Transportation Electrification Safety Checklist
(CPUC-approved terminology and requirements for safety) - Rule 29 FAQ
- Rule 29 Tariff Book
(Full official components and conditions of Rule 29) - Rule 16 Tariff Book
(Full official components and conditions of Rule 16) - Rule 15 Tariff Book
(Full official components and conditions of Rule 15) - Electric Service Requirements (ESR)
(Current guidance and instruction for installation of electrical service connections) - EV Rates Overview
(Information on available Electric Vehicle (EV) rates for businesses)
Need more help or information?
For assistance in preparing a Rule 29 application, please request a no-cost EV Readiness Study at www.sce.com/teas
Ready to Apply? Contact us at TEPMCommercialEV@sce.com.